Catalogue binder



June 23, 1959 FOSTER Q 2,891,554

CATALOGUE BINDER Filed June 6, 1956 IN VEN TOR. flg wuaffaszzk United States Pate- 2,291,554 GATALQGUE. BINDER Me ville E bury o ter Minneap M n.- Application June 6, 1956., Serial No. 589,716 clans n l-:2

This invention relates to binders. More particularly it relates to catalogue binders for the reception and the retention of loose-leaf catalogues and bulletins ranging in size from a single page to about one hundred pages.

Many manufacturers mail small catalogues and bulletins setting forth their products, prices and specifications for the information of their dealers and prospective purchasers. In fartoo many instances, however, such material is either lost or is put away in a relatively inaccessible place until it is forgotten or lost Many times, such catalogues and bulletins are laid away in files or stacked on shelves and are soon lost to the sight of the purchasing agent and their locatiQu is soon foiigotten.

Manufacturers are well aware of the above difficulties. Ring hinders, the smallest of which is the. one-inch size, are too large for the small number of sheets that any. one such manufacturer would place in them. In

addition, they are too costly. As a result, even when an attempt is' made to keep such material ready at hand for use, they are placed in folders. and the individual wanting to. use them is at, a loss to. locate the proper folder when. a large number of them are stackedupon a shelf. or in a drawer. This is, true, because. binders of small size have no means for properly imprinting upon the back or binding edge the information necessary to advise the user of the contents of the folder. It is desirable that the back edge or binding carry the name of the particular manufacturer so that it may be easily seen from a distance when placed on a shelf with books and other data.

When the binding edge of such a folder carries in easily readable letters the name of the manufacturer, it is easy for the engineer or purchasing agent to locate this particular folder. It is desirable at the same time for the retaining means within the folder to be such that the factory salesman or representative can install new data and prices as they are released by the manufacturer. My catalogue binder is designed to overcome these disadvantages and to meet these desirable requirements.

It is a general object of my invention to provide a novel and improved catalogue binder of simple and inexpensive construction especially adapted for retaining small catalogues and bulletins consisting of relatively few pages.

Another object is to provide a novel and improved catalogue binder which facilitates the application of the proper means of identification upon the binding edge of the folder before the material to be contained in the binder is secured thereinto.

Another object is to provide a novel and improved catalogue binder constructed and arranged to facilitate the insertion and removal of pages within the catalogue.

Another object is to provide a novel and improved catalogue binder having an unusually simple binding device which can be manufactured and sold at a nominal cost.

Another object is to provide a retaining device for a catalogue binder integrally formed and unusually simple in installation and operation.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of one embodiment of my invention with the front and back panels laid open and the retaining device displayed therein.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

One embodiment of my invention as shown in Figs. 1-2 may include a folder indicated generally as F and having a back panel 5 and a front or cover panel 6 swingably connected together by a relatively narrow connector panel 7. This connector panel 7, as best shown in Fig. l, is elongated and swingably connects the two panels 5 and 6' so that, when these two panels extend substantially parallel toeach other, the connector panel forms the rear edge of the folder.

Secured to the back panel 5 and extending along the connector panel 7 is an integrally formed elongated retaining device indicated generally as R. This retaining device R includes an elongated receiving element 8 which is integrally formed with a plurality of upstanding tubular post members 9, 10 and 11. These post members and the strip 1 2 uponwhich they are mounted, as best shown; in Fig. 2, are integrally formed of a resilient material such as rubberor plastic. The post members 9, 10 and 11 have upper free end portions which have their bore-defining walls tapered inwardly as indicated by the numeral 13 in'Fig. 2.

Each of the tubularpost members 9, 10 and 11 carries a stem 14 which has a portion" thereof enlarged as; at 15 and carries a flat, broad head 16 at its top. The diameter-of the stem member 14 at its enlarged area 15 is slightly greater than theinternal bore of the post members 9, 10 and 11.

In use, the various sheets of the catalogue are received by the post members 9, 10 and 11 in holes provided in the sheet for that purpose. The headed stems 14 are securing means which are resiliently received within the bore of the respective posts and frictionally held therein by the deformation of the Walls of the post. When it is desired to remove a sheet or to substitute another sheet therefor, the user merely pulls upwardly on the heads of the stems 14 to remove them and substitutes the sheet and then replaces these stems to positively secure the sheet on the post.

It will be noted that the retaining device R is secured by an adhesive layer 16. In actual practice, the retaining device R is manufactured separately from the folder F and is supplied in detached form so that the purchaser may first turn the folder over and apply the proper identification to the exterior of the connector panel 7 and may thereafter apply the retaining device R by applying the layer of adhesive 16 to the bottom thereof and then applying the strip to the back panel 5 as shown in Fig. 1. In this manner it is possible for very small catalogues to be properly maintained and to facilitate the application of the proper means of identification to the folder while the binder device is detached therefrom.

It will be noted that the back panel 5 constitutes the sole support for the retaining device R. Because of this fact, the retaining device provides a ready and easily accessible means for substituting the desired sheets within the catalogue. The post members 9, l9 and 11 all stand erect when the folder is laid open flat upon a I table. The portion to the left of the retaining device R which is the connector panel 7, as shown in Fig. 1,

constitutes the rear edge of the folder when the front panel 6 is folded over into superimposed relation with the back panel 5.

Thus it can be seen that I have provided an extremely simple and inexpensive catalogue binder for binding and storing small catalogues and bulletins, the number of pages in which approximate one hundred or less. This catalogue binder can be manufactured at a minimum of cost and yet its manner of use is so simple and effective that it has distinct advantages over more complicated binders. The sheets can 'be removed and substituted thereon with a minimum of eflort, fumbling, and soiling the material of the sheets.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the various parts without departing from the scope of my invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A loose leaf catalogue binder comprising a folder having a back panel, a front panel, and a fiat connector panel swingably connecting said front and back panels to permit the same to swing into parallel extending spaced relationship and normal to the plane of said connector panel, an elongated strip secured to said back panel and extending adjacent to and along said connector panel, a pair of tubular posts attached to and extending normally from said strip toward said front panel, each of said posts being formed of fiowable rubber-like material and being completely cylindrical defining an elongated bore formed therein, said posts being spaced longitudinally of said strip and a stud secured Within each of said posts, each of said studs having an elongated stem of substantially the same diameter as said bore, a head at the upper end of said stern larger than the cross sectional area of its post, and an enlarged portion at the lower end of each of said stems of larger cross sectional area than the bore of the associated post and with the head of each stud in engagement with the associated post, the material of said post above the associated enlarged portions flowing inwardly behind said enlarged portions and positively securing the studs to the posts.

2. The structure as defined in claim 1, wherein the upper portion of said bore of each post tapers outwardly and upwardly to facilitate the insertion of the studs therein.

3. The structure as defined in claim 1, wherein said elongated strip is fixedly secured to said back panel with adhesive.

4. A binding device for use with a flat folder, said device comprising an integrally molded elongated strip adapted to be adhesively and fixedly secured to a folder, a plurality of tubular posts attached to and extending normally from said strip, said posts being formed of a flowable, rubber-like material and being completely cylindrical defining an elongated bore formed therein, said posts being spaced longitudinally of said strip and a stud secured within each of said posts, each of said studs having an elongated stem of substantially the same diameter as said bore, a head at the upper end of said stem larger than the cross sectional area of its post, and an enlarged portion at the lower end of each of said stems of larger cross sectional area than the bore of the associated post and with the head of each stud in engagement with the associated post, the material of said post above the associated enlarged portions flowing inwardly behind said enlarged portions and positively securing the studs to the posts.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 828,974 Schmidmer Aug. 21, 1906 1,167,639 Eifel Jan. 11, 1916 1,437,329 Wilburger Nov. 28, 1922 1,502,757 Van Nostrand July 29, 1924 1,772,595 Trane Aug. 12, 1930 2,376,423 Evans May 22, 1945 2,779,116 Smith Jan. 29, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 208,902 Great Britain Jan. 3, 1924 134,390 Austria July 29, 1933 114,955 Australia Mar. 25, 1942 

